Michigan Wrestlers who also Lettered in Football

Michigan Football Players who later became Michigan Wrestling Captains

Howard Auer, played tackle on football 1929-31, was wrestling captain in 1931, later played in NFL with Philadelphia Eagles in 1933.
Frank Bissell played on the 1935 and 1936 football teams with fellow Wolverines wrestlers, Stan Schuman and Harry “Tiny” Wright. Although Wright was voted as wrestling captain for the 1937 season, Keen replaced Wright with Bissell. Bissell was an Olympic Alternate in 1940 who won the National AAU Championship in 1946.
Forrest “Butch” Jordan played tackle on 1936 football team with fellow Wolverine wrestlers, Jim Lincoln, and Roland Savilla. Jordan was Big Ten Champion in 1940, and Jordan became a football assistant for Crisler and a wrestling assistant for Keen in the mid-1940s before leaving to be Art Valpey’s assistant at Harvard. He became Head Wrestling Coach for the Crimson.
Denny Fitzgerald was a starting halfback at Michigan, 1959-60, and still holds the Wolverine record for longest kickoff return. He was captain in 1961, and won two Big Ten wrestling titles plus Pan-American gold in 1963. He became both a football and wrestling assistant for Bump Elliott and Cliff Keen, 1963-1968, until he became defensive coordinator at Kentucky and Kent State where he was promoted to head coach. Fitzgerald coached for 10 different college and NFL teams including 7 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers as linebacker coach.
Rick Bay was backup quarterback to Bob Timberlake, 1962-63, and gave up his senior season in 1964 because Keen demanded he do so to lead the wrestling team as captain in 1964. He was Keen’s assistant, 1966-1970, and replaced Keen after retirement in 1970. After leaving the Wolverines in 1974, Bay was voted as President of USA Wrestling becoming Wrestling’s Man of the Year in 1980. Bay became athletic director at four different universities, and was inducted into the NACDA Hall of Fame in 2010. Bay also was a baseball executive for the Yankees and Indians.
Dave Porter was voted captain for the 1968 season, but Keen replaced him with Pete Cornell since he couldn’t lead the team as wrestling captain while he was competing in football. Porter was a Two-Time NCAA Champion, and had a shot to compete in the 1968 Olympics; however, he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, but a foot injury ended his NFL career.
Pete Cornell came to Michigan to play both football and wrestling, but gave up football after his freshman season to concentrate on wrestling where he was a Three-Time All-American and National Runner-Up in 1969.
Conversely, Michigan Football Captains who wrestled include: George Rich, Bob Westfall, Alvin Wistert, and Dick O’Shaughnessy (2 Time Big Ten Champion). Cliff Keen persuaded dozens and dozens of Wolverine football players to compete in wrestling. Few people know that Les Miles, current LSU Head Football Coach was on the Wolverine Wrestling Team while playing for Michigan as a backup offensive guard.

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Michigan Hall of Honor

Rick Bay

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Bill Combs

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Cliff Keen

Harold Nichols

Dave Porter

Ufer Award